Mechanically actuated vibratory relay



Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES REGINALD DENNIS sArMoN, or onoYroN, snnnnr; ENGLAND, AssIeNon AND COMP NY 'ILIMITEi), OF oRoirno sURREY, .nNeLA D MEC A NICALL 'norua'rnn vinnaronY RELAY:

Application filed September 24,1936, Serial No. 484,076, and in (treat Britain July. 10, 1930. H V

This invention relates to mechanically actuated vibrating relays as used-for telegraphic and like purposes V In certain relays oft-his type, on each movementof the armature of a relay from one extreme position to another, mechanical means operate .to retroact on the armature, tending to restore it to the position from which it was last moved: The electromagnetic winding of the relay is employed to maintain the armature in one position orthe other, in oppositionto the mechanical retroacting means. In the absence of any, controlling current. in the winding, the relay armature is maintained i111 a state of constant vibration between its two positions and at a rate which dependson the speed of response of the mechanical 'retroacting means. A relay of thisdescriptionais similar in principle 2 to vibratingrelays of the well known Gulstad type, but-mechanical instead of electroma'g-r netic' retroaction is employed- The mode of operation of such a relay is described in the specification of co-pending application Serial No.432,828. i m

When employed on double current-circuits, the controlling force inv the. electromagnetic winding is substantially equal when the relay tongue is in either of itstwoiextremepositions, but when single current working is resorted to, for instance, this controlling force may differ in the two positions according to thedesign and adjustment oftheflr'elay. This will be clear when it isremembered that indouble current working, with a relay in neutral 'adjustment, the armature will'beactuated to and heldinone' position by a current of one-polarity,and actuated to and held in the other position by a current of opposite polarity. In 7 single current working, however, the armature is actuated to and held in its operated position by the working current, but when this working current ceases, is returned'to itsunoperated position either by suitable magnetic biasing or by spring means. 7

The present invention provides, in vibrating relays with mechanical retroaction, means to adjust the relative strength of the retro-,

"mechanical retroacting means. I

acting tendency on the relay armature in its two extreme positions.

Themea-ns described maybe employed, as will. be apparent, either for the extreme case of adapting a vibrating relay of this class .to single; current workingor merely for the purpose otadjusting -the relative resetting or retroacting tendency in eachof the two extremepositions or" the relay armature in double current working. In either case the means form a biasing arrangementrfor'the Figure 1v of the accompanying drawings represents a mechanical ly actuated vibrating relay with adjusting means according to .1

the present invention, whilst Figure 2 shows these acl ust111g means in greater detail fro ennui) 1 The mode of operation of the meansshown in Figure lwith the exceptiouof the adjustmg means according to the present invention is described fully in the aforementioned specification, but will here be briefly summarized, similar reference numerals being employedfor :s1m1lar parts.

An. armature 1 of an electromagnetic relay 2 operates alternately between two extreme positions. ,At each movementof armature 1, escapement 4" releases ,member 6 'which is yieldingly driven by mechanical power, for

half a lrevolution. Aneccentric thus actuates by mechanical'powe'r amember'lO alternate- 1y; from one position to another through confnecting rod9 and lever'8. This arrangement .as described, terms a mechanical relay where- .m meanS'lS operatedby mechanlcal power 1n accordance'with the movements and under the control of armature 1. In Figure 1 this means is shownconveniently as a contact tongue 131playing between contact screws 11 v and 12. "Member 1491s alsooperated by. the

mechanical relay to. slide distance piece: 16 alternately between and against. spring 3 pressed, independent levers 17 and 18, one extremity of each of which is adapted to engage with armature 1 inopposite directions. The

levers '16, 17 thus provideabutment means which engage the armature at opposite ends of its travel and tend to-urgeit in the opposite direction. 7 t The arrangement such that each actualoaded lever.

tion of armature 1 from one position to the other is followed by a corresponding movement of distance piece 16 in the opposite direction. The distance piece 16 thus leaves one of the levers 17 or 18 bearing under spring tension against armature 1 and tending to reverse .the movement of the armature which has just occurred, and at the same time moves the other lever from operative relation with the armature 1. v In other words the parts 1, 16, 17 and 18 move from the position shown bv full lines in Fig. 1, into the position indi-V cated by broken lines, or vice versa. In the absence of any current in the relay 2 winding the reverse movement takes place and is followed by another contrary retroacting movement, the relay thus being maintained in a state of constant vibration. The current in relay 2 is thus only required to maintain armature 1 in either of its two positions in opposition to the pressure of the corresponding spring actuated opposing lever 17 or 18,

the work of actuating the armature from one position tothe other, being performed by mechanical power.

The efiective strength of the spring means retroacting on armature 1 in either position is adjusted by screw 24 which bears on lever 23, and tension spring 22 vfor both leversl7 and 18, but in order to adjust the relative strength of the spring tendency on one lever 17 as compared with that onthe other lever 18, means is provided as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The two levers 17 and 18 are connected by links 30 and 31 respectively to a screwed rod 32 which is rotatable by means of adjusting head 38. Spring 22 is attached to a travelling nut 34: which is adjustably movable from a central position between the links 30 and 31 to one side or the other by head 83.

With the nut 34 in the central position the whole vibrating relay will function as previously described but if it is desired to adapt the arrangement for single current working,

nut 34 is adjusted by head-33 towards the link on the opposite side to'that in which it is desired that the current should move the relay armature 1. -The spring tension through links 30 and -31 is thus unbalanced and the relay will have a bias the extent of which is determined by the position of the nut 34 relative'to the central position. In operating on single current, the relay will be actuated to the operated position under the action of the working current together wit-h the tension of spring 22 upon the lightly The mechanical relay then operates and the sliding distance piece 16 moves the lightly loaded lever from operative relation witharmature 1 and leaves the more heavily loaded lever pressing against the op- 'posite side of thearmature, so that when the action of the normal restoring means of the relay and the heavily loaded lever.

It will thus be seen that the relay 18 re lieved of the necessity of operating against the full tension of the restoring means and in the two different directions of movement.

What is claimed is V 1. Ina vibratory. relay having mechanical retroaction, a pair of levers for applying retroactive forcesto the relay armature in its two extreme positions, and means for adj usting the relation of the forces applied to said levers comprising a rodpivotally connected to each of said levers, ineans'for loading said rod and means for adjusting-the position of the point of rapplication of the load on said rod. 7

2. In a vibratory relay having mechanical retroaction, a pair of intermediately pivoted levers, a relay armature oscillatable between and disposed to contact alternately with one end of each lever, and means for urging said ends towards said armature comprising links pivoted to the other ends of said levers, a rod connecting said links, means for. applying a transverse load to said rod and means for adjusting the point of application of said load longitudinally of said rod.

3. In a vibratory relay an oscillatable armature, .a pair of'bell crank levers having a common pivotal axis disposed with one arm of each lever substantially parallel with an arm of the other lever and extending into the path of thearmature to provide abutments therefor, and the other arms of the levers extending in opposite directions, links pivot'allyconnectedwith each of the last mentioned arms, andineans for urging the parallelly disposed arms towards the armature disposed therebetween, comprising a rod connecting: said links, means for applying a transverse load to said rod intermediate said links, and means for adjusting the point of applicationlof said loadlongitudinally on said rod. i 1

4t. In a' vibratory relay, an oscillatable armature, a pair of bell crank levers having a common pivotal axis disposedwith one arm of each lever substantially parallel with an arm of the other lever and extending into the path of said armature to provide'abutments therefor, and the other arms of the levers eX- tending in opposite directions, links pivotally connected with each of the last mentioned arms, a screw threaded rod rotatably connected to said links, anut on said rod and traversable therealong and spring loading means attached to said nut.

' 5. A vibratory relay having an oscillatable armature, movable spring-pressed abutment means disposed to engage said armature at opposite extremes of its travel, and common adjusting means'for differentially adjusting the spring pressures upon saidabutment means. i

6. A Vibratory relayhaving an oscillatable armature, movable spring-pressed abutment means disposed to engage said armature at opposite ends of its travel, common adjusting means for differentially adjusting thepressures upon said abutment means at opposite ends of the travel of the armature and means for increasing or decreasing both saidspring pressures simultaneously.

7 A relay comprising an armature, a member actuated by mechanical power upon movement of said armature, movable springpressed abutment means disposed to engage said armature at opposite ends of its travel and eflective in response to the movement of said member to tend'to restore said armature into the position from which it was last moved and means for adjusting the relative spring pressure upon said abutment means.

8. A relay comprising an armature operable between two extreme positions, a member actuated'by mechanical power upon each movement of said armature from one position to the other, spring-pressed means actuated by said member to effect a movement of said armature contrary to its initiating movement in either of its two extreme positions and means for adjusting the relative pressure exerted by said spring-pressed means on said armature in its two extreme positions.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this fifteenth day of August 1930.

REGINALD DENNIS SALMON. 

